Potatoes, from the Patch

Phaedra

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I'd not heard this before about sprouted potatoes. In some quick searching just now, it looks like the toxins are very high in the sprout itself. I wonder if it actually affects the flesh of the potato?

Thanks for the 'heads up'! I'll keep an eye out for more info.
I guess they won't affect the potato flesh. Germans are potato lovers, and most of the people I know only avoid those with green skin. They throw the sprouts away, so now I do the same.
 

Phaedra

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Sweet potatoes are a challenge for cool or short-season locations. I think I could grow some here, with a lot of TLC, and have a list of varieties to trial. For me, it is a question not only of maturity, but of where the tubers form. My soil is very heavy, and I have little patience for playing "where's Waldo" with a shovel - especially having experienced that once.

About 15 years ago, I grew a sweet potato grown for its shoots & leaves, from slips purchased in an Asian grocery. The vines grew well, and we harvested a lot of greens from them. When Autumn came, I decided to see whether the plants had developed tubers. The good news: they had... long, narrow, twisted white tubers that had a very dry consistency (similar to a white variety aptly named "Choker"). There were a lot of them too. The bad news: they were anywhere within 3' of the plants in all directions, and up to 8" deep. :eek: To find them, I had to follow the thick roots (which were identifiable) outward from the plant, digging carefully, until I located the tuber. This wasn't harvesting - it was excavation!!! After digging only a few (and ruining that part of the garden) I gave up & left the rest to freeze. I was actually relieved that none of them survived the winter.
I love their greens more than their tubers. Since the summer here is also too short for them to develop good enough tubers, I turn my target to their leaves.

I saw people plant sweet potatoes directly in containers/even a bag of soil - might be easier to get the harvest and then recycle the used soil?
 

Marie2020

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I guess they won't affect the potato flesh. Germans are potato lovers, and most of the people I know only avoid those with green skin. They throw the sprouts away, so now I do the same.
It's a wise choice to throw away green potatoes, I believe they are toxic.

I bought some lovely looking potatoes from Israel once they turned green when they were cooked. Strange
 

digitS'

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I know that I have mentioned this before (but maybe not on this thread ;)).

We had a TEG gardener who must have had a sunny, "daylight" basement and would start Irish potatoes there. (Can we call them Idaho or, maybe, German potatoes ;)?) They were started very early in grow bags and when warmer weather arrived her husband would carry the bags upstairs and outdoors.

Seemed like a LOT of work but -- they would have a very early harvest of potatoes.

Steve
 

flowerbug

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It's a wise choice to throw away green potatoes, I believe they are toxic.

we peel the green layer off and cook them up. as long as i can't taste it i figure it must be ok enough.

if you have any specific evidence for throwing the whole potato away i'd be interested in seeing it.



I bought some lovely looking potatoes from Israel once they turned green when they were cooked. Strange

something strange in the water or ? i dunno. check out the following for more intersting bits. i didn't know the following and i'll have to look into this more before i trust it "

How do you remove solanine from potatoes?​


CONSTITUTION: Solanin is removed from potatoes by dipping the potatoes in vinegar of 30-60 deg. C, containing 0.3-1.0 vol% of acetic acid, for 2-5 minutes."

 

Phaedra

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This reminds me of a funny scene that I saw last week. The homegrown potatoes were stored in the cold and dark pantry, where there was only a tiny window on another side of the space. I put them in a wooden crate and used two layers of jute bags to block the light while they still could breathe. Then I forget the last few potatoes since last December.

And this funny scene happened.
1524_0.jpg

They did try their best!
1523_0.jpg

Anyway, none of them turned green. I cut those stems and put them in the water. Now the roots and leaves are both growing well. Next week, I will plant them in the sunny basement until there is no frost danger. It would be an interesting experiment, as stem cuttings should work.
1521_0.jpg
 

meadow

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I know that I have mentioned this before (but maybe not on this thread ;)).

We had a TEG gardener who must have had a sunny, "daylight" basement and would start Irish potatoes there. (Can we call them Idaho or, maybe, German potatoes ;)?) They were started very early in grow bags and when warmer weather arrived her husband would carry the bags upstairs and outdoors.

Seemed like a LOT of work but -- they would have a very early harvest of potatoes.

Steve

I just saw a video yesterday of a fellow that starts them indoors in tall yogurt containers, then transfers to a 5 gallon pot when they are a few inches tall (takes about a month?). He has a harsh climate so it is worth it to him to get a head start... without having to carry heavy buckets around. His 5 gallon pots are salvaged flower display pots from the grocery store.
 

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